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Imran M, Ali S, Ibrahim AA, Amjad A, Tanveer A, Khalil S, Ali M, Abuelazm M. Effect of methotrexate hold on COVID-19 vaccine response in the patients with autoimmune inflammatory disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Rheumatol 2024; 43:2203-2214. [PMID: 38802670 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-024-07013-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Immunosuppressants, such as methotrexate (MTX), can suppress the COVID-19 vaccine response in patients with autoimmune diseases. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the effects of MTX hold following COVID-19 vaccination on vaccine efficacy response. A systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant studies retrieved from Web of Science, SCOPUS, PubMed, and CENTRAL from inception until Oct 1, 2023, was conducted. Covidence was used to screen the eligible articles, and all relevant outcomes data were synthesized using risk ratios (RRs) or standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in meta-analysis models within RevMan 5.4. PROSPERO ID: CRD42024511628. Four studies with a total of 762 patients with autoimmune inflammatory disorders were included. Holding MTX following the COVID-19 vaccination for approximately 2 weeks was associated with significantly higher antibody titer (SMD: 0.70, 95% CI [0.54, 0.87], P < 0.00001). However, the flare rate was significantly higher in the MTX hold group based on CDAI > 10 or DAS28-CRP > 1.2 either after 1st dose (RR: 2.49 with 95% CI [1.39, 4.47], P = 0.002) or 2nd dose (RR: 2.16 with 95% CI [1.37, 3.41], P = 0.0009) and self-reported disease flare (RR: 1.71 with 95% CI [1.35, 2.17], P < 0.00001). Holding MTX for 2 weeks after the COVID-19 vaccination resulted in significantly higher antibody titer but also had a higher disease flare rate, necessitating cautious clinical monitoring during this period. There is still a need to investigate safer MTX hold duration, considering patients' vulnerability to COVID-19, disease status, and demographics while adopting this strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Imran
- University College of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Shujaat Ali
- University College of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Areeb Amjad
- University College of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Aiman Tanveer
- University College of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Saba Khalil
- Faculty of Medicine, Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Mansab Ali
- University College of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
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2
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Ben S, Gao F, Xu Z, Zhang R, Zhang X, Wang N, Zhang M, Hou L. The role of hematological parameters in asymptomatic and non-severe cases of Omicron variant infection. Virol J 2024; 21:143. [PMID: 38915037 PMCID: PMC11197332 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-024-02414-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Omicron variants are currently the predominant circulating lineage worldwide and most cases are mild or asymptomatic. The Omicron variant is characterized by high transmissibility and immune evasion. Early identification of Omicron cases in clinical settings is crucial for controlling its spread. Previous studies have indicated that changes in hematological parameters can be used to predict the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the role of hematological parameters in non-severe and asymptomatic cases remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of hematological parameters in non-severe and asymptomatic Omicron variant infections. METHODS Hematological parameters and results were analyzed and compared in symptomatic (n = 356) and asymptomatic (n = 171) groups respectively, and between these two groups with positive COVID-19 tests. The utility of hematological parameters for predicting positive COVID-19 tests was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS Individuals with non-severe cases exhibited decreased levels of platelets, lymphocytes, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes (%), eosinophils (%), and basophils (%), while exhibiting elevated counts of monocytes, neutrophils (%), monocytes (%), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) when compared to suspected cases or asymptomatic carriers. In asymptomatic patients, positive carriers had lower leukocyte, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts but higher monocyte, monocyte (%), PLR, and CRP levels than negative carriers. Basophil counts combined with lymphocytes or the PLR demonstrated a more significant predictive value in screening non-severe cases earlier compared to other parameters. The combined assessment of the monocyte (%) and the PLR had the highest area under the curve for diagnosing asymptomatic carriers. CONCLUSIONS Circulating basophils, alone or in combination with other hematological parameters, may be used as efficient biomarkers for early screening of non-severe Omicron cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suqin Ben
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 100 HainingRoad, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Fengying Gao
- Department of Pulmonary Disease, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, PR China
| | - Ziheng Xu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 100 HainingRoad, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Rulin Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Xingyi Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 100 HainingRoad, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 100 HainingRoad, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
| | - Lili Hou
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 100 HainingRoad, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Jiuquan Branch of Shanghai General Hospital, Gansu, 735099, China.
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Stawowski AR, Konopińska J, Stawowski SS, Adamczuk J, Groth M, Moniuszko-Malinowska A, Czupryna P. The Review of Ophthalmic Symptoms in COVID-19. Clin Ophthalmol 2024; 18:1417-1432. [PMID: 38803556 PMCID: PMC11129748 DOI: 10.2147/opth.s460224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 had a significant impact on the health of the global human population, affecting almost every human organ, including the organ of vision. Research focus on understanding the pathophysiology, identifying symptoms and complications of the disease. Eye-related pathologies are important foci of research due to the potential for direct impact of the virus. Ophthalmologists around the world are reporting various symptoms of eye infections and ocular pathologies associated with SARS-CoV-2. The review of ophthalmic symptoms was conducted to help physicians of various specialties recognize possible ophthalmic manifestations of this viral disease. A literature review was conducted from January 2020 to July 2023 in the PubMed, MEDLINE, Science Direct, Scopus, Scielo and Google Scholar databases. The review of the literature showed that conjunctivitis is the most common ophthalmic symptom observed during the course of COVID-19 and can occur at any stage of the disease. Changes in the eye may result from the direct effect of the virus, immune response, prothrombotic states, comorbidities, and medications used. Symptoms related to the organ of vision can be divided into: changes affecting the protective apparatus of the eye, the anterior eye segment, the posterior eye segment, neuro-ophthalmic, and orbital changes. Ocular symptoms may suggest COVID-19 infection or appear several weeks after recovery. Following COVID-19 vaccinations, a diverse range of ophthalmic symptoms was observed in various locations and at different times, mirroring the ocular symptoms experienced throughout the course of the COVID-19 illness. It is important for physicians of all specialties to be aware of possible potential connections between eye diseases and SARS-CoV-2, in order to effectively diagnose and treat patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joanna Konopińska
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | | | - Justyna Adamczuk
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfectious, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Monika Groth
- Department of Allergology and Internal Diseases, University Clinical Hospital in Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfectious, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Piotr Czupryna
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfectious, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
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4
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Melis R, Braca A, Pagnozzi D, Anedda R. The metabolic footprint of Vero E6 cells highlights the key metabolic routes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and response to drug combinations. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7950. [PMID: 38575586 PMCID: PMC10995198 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57726-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 burdens healthcare systems worldwide, yet specific drug-based treatments are still unavailable. Understanding the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on host molecular pathways is critical for providing full descriptions and optimizing therapeutic targets. The present study used Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-based metabolic footprinting to characterize the secreted cellular metabolite levels (exometabolomes) of Vero E6 cells in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and to two candidate drugs (Remdesivir, RDV, and Azithromycin, AZI), either alone or in combination. SARS-CoV-2 infection appears to force VE6 cells to have increased glucose concentrations from extra-cellular medium and altered energetic metabolism. RDV and AZI, either alone or in combination, can modify the glycolic-gluconeogenesis pathway in the host cell, thus impairing the mitochondrial oxidative damage caused by the SARS-CoV-2 in the primary phase. RDV treatment appears to be associated with a metabolic shift toward the TCA cycle. Our findings reveal a metabolic reprogramming produced by studied pharmacological treatments that protects host cells against virus-induced metabolic damage, with an emphasis on the glycolytic-gluconeogenetic pathway. These findings may help researchers better understand the relevant biological mechanisms involved in viral infection, as well as the creation of mechanistic hypotheses for such candidate drugs, thereby opening up new possibilities for SARS-CoV-2 pharmacological therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Melis
- Porto Conte Ricerche s.r.l., S.P. 55 Porto Conte-Capo Caccia, Km 8.400 Loc. Tramariglio, Alghero, SS, Italy
| | - Angela Braca
- Porto Conte Ricerche s.r.l., S.P. 55 Porto Conte-Capo Caccia, Km 8.400 Loc. Tramariglio, Alghero, SS, Italy
| | - Daniela Pagnozzi
- Porto Conte Ricerche s.r.l., S.P. 55 Porto Conte-Capo Caccia, Km 8.400 Loc. Tramariglio, Alghero, SS, Italy
| | - Roberto Anedda
- Porto Conte Ricerche s.r.l., S.P. 55 Porto Conte-Capo Caccia, Km 8.400 Loc. Tramariglio, Alghero, SS, Italy.
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5
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Yathindranath V, Safa N, Tomczyk MM, Dolinsky V, Miller DW. Lipid Nanoparticle-Based Inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 Host Cell Infection. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:3087-3108. [PMID: 38562613 PMCID: PMC10984206 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s448005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose The global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the lingering threat to public health has fueled the search for effective therapeutics to treat SARS-CoV-2. This study aimed to develop lipid nanoparticle (LNP) inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 entry to reduce viral infection in the nose and upper airway. Methods Two types of LNP formulations were prepared following a microfluidic mixing method. The LNP-Trap consisted of DOPC, DSPC, cholesterol, and DSPE-PEG-COOH modified with various spike protein binding ligands, including ACE2 peptide, recombinant human ACE2 (rhACE2) or monoclonal antibody to spike protein (mAb). The LNP-Trim consisted of ionizing cationic DLin-MC3-DMA, DSPC, cholesterol, and DMG-PEG lipids encapsulating siACE2 or siTMPRSS2. Both formulations were assayed for biocompatibility and cell uptake in airway epithelial cells (Calu-3). Functional assessment of activity was performed using SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding assays (LNP-Trap), host receptor knockdown (LNP-Trim), and SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus neutralization assay (LNP-Trap and LNP-Trim). Localization and tissue distribution of fluorescently labeled LNP formulations were assessed in mice following intranasal administration. Results Both LNP formulations were biocompatible based on cell impedance and MTT cytotoxicity studies in Calu-3 cells at concentrations as high as 1 mg/mL. LNP-Trap formulations were able to bind spike protein and inhibit pseudovirus infection by 90% in Calu-3 cells. LNP-Trim formulations reduced ACE2 and TMPRSS2 at the mRNA (70% reduction) and protein level (50% reduction). The suppression of host targets in Calu-3 cells treated with LNP-Trim resulted in over 90% inhibition of pseudovirus infection. In vivo studies demonstrated substantial retention of LNP-Trap and LNP-Trim in the nasal cavity following nasal administration with minimal systemic exposure. Conclusion Both LNP-Trap and LNP-Trim formulations were able to safely and effectively inhibit SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviral infection in airway epithelial cells. These studies provide proof-of-principle for a localized treatment approach for SARS-CoV-2 in the upper airway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinith Yathindranath
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- PrairieNeuro Research Centre, Health Science Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Nura Safa
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- PrairieNeuro Research Centre, Health Science Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Mateusz Marek Tomczyk
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Children’s Hospital Research Institute Manitoba, Health Science Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Vernon Dolinsky
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Children’s Hospital Research Institute Manitoba, Health Science Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Donald W Miller
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- PrairieNeuro Research Centre, Health Science Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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6
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Halfmann PJ, Iwatsuki-Horimoto K, Kuroda M, Hirata Y, Yamayoshi S, Iida S, Uraki R, Ito M, Ueki H, Furusawa Y, Sakai-Tagawa Y, Kiso M, Armbrust T, Spyra S, Maeda K, Wang Z, Imai M, Suzuki T, Kawaoka Y. Characterization of Omicron BA.4.6, XBB, and BQ.1.1 subvariants in hamsters. Commun Biol 2024; 7:331. [PMID: 38491227 PMCID: PMC10943235 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06015-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
During the Omicron wave, previous variants such as BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 were replaced by newer variants with additional mutations in the spike protein. These variants, BA.4.6, BQ.1.1, and XBB, have spread in different countries with different degrees of success. Here, we evaluated the replicative ability and pathogenicity of BA.4.6, BQ1.1, and XBB clinical isolates in male Syrian hamsters. Although we found no substantial differences in weight change among hamsters infected with these Omicron subvariants, the replicative ability of BQ.1.1 and XBB in lung tissue was higher than that of BA.4.6 and BA.5. Of note, BQ.1.1 was lethal in both male and female transgenic human ACE2 hamsters. In competition assays, XBB replicated better than BQ.1.1 in the nasal turbinate tissues of female hamsters previously infected with Omicron BA.2. These results suggest that newer Omicron subvariants in the XBB family are still evolving and should be closely monitored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Halfmann
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | | | - Makoto Kuroda
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Yuichiro Hirata
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Seiya Yamayoshi
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - Shun Iida
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Ryuta Uraki
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - Mutsumi Ito
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ueki
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - Yuri Furusawa
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - Yuko Sakai-Tagawa
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Maki Kiso
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Tammy Armbrust
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Sam Spyra
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Ken Maeda
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Zhongde Wang
- Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Masaki Imai
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - Tadaki Suzuki
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan.
| | - Yoshihiro Kawaoka
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53711, USA.
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan.
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan.
- The University of Tokyo, Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center (UTOPIA), Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan.
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7
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Amani B, Amani B. Comparison of effectiveness and safety of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir versus sotrovimab for COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38457124 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2024.2326561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) and sotrovimab for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS A search was conducted on PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science to explore relevant studies from January 2021 to November 2023. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool. Data analysis was conducted using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (version 3.0). RESULTS Fifteen retrospective studies involving 13, 306 patients were included. The meta-analysis revealed no significant difference between the nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and sotrovimab groups in terms of mortality rate (odds ratio [OR] = 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.28 to 1.38), hospitalization rate (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.48 to 1.22), death or hospitalization rate (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.51 to 1.10), and intensive unit care admission (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 0.38 to 10.07). In terms of safety, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir was associated with a higher incidence of adverse events (OR = 3.44, 95% CI: 1.29 to 9.17). CONCLUSIONS The meta-analysis showed that nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and sotrovimab have similar effectiveness in treating COVID-19 patients. However, the certainty of evidence supporting these findings is low. High-quality research is needed to better compare these interventions in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnam Amani
- Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahman Amani
- Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Meng M, Zhang WW, Chen SF, Wang DR, Zhou CH. Therapeutic utility of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells-based approaches in pulmonary diseases: Recent advancements and prospects. World J Stem Cells 2024; 16:70-88. [PMID: 38455096 PMCID: PMC10915951 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v16.i2.70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary diseases across all ages threaten millions of people and have emerged as one of the major public health issues worldwide. For diverse disease conditions, the currently available approaches are focused on alleviating clinical symptoms and delaying disease progression but have not shown significant therapeutic effects in patients with lung diseases. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) isolated from the human UC have the capacity for self-renewal and multilineage differentiation. Moreover, in recent years, these cells have been demonstrated to have unique advantages in the treatment of lung diseases. We searched the Public Clinical Trial Database and found 55 clinical trials involving UC-MSC therapy for pulmonary diseases, including coronavirus disease 2019, acute respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pulmonary fibrosis. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of these registered clinical trials and relevant published results and explore in depth the challenges and opportunitiesfaced in clinical application. Moreover, the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in UC-MSC-based therapy for pulmonary diseases are also analyzed in depth. In brief, this comprehensive review and detailed analysis of these clinical trials can be expected to provide a scientific reference for future large-scale clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Meng
- Department of Central Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng 252000, Shandong Province, China
| | - Wei-Wei Zhang
- Department of Central Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng 252000, Shandong Province, China
| | - Shuang-Feng Chen
- Department of Central Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng 252000, Shandong Province, China
| | - Da-Rui Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng 252000, Shandong Province, China
| | - Chang-Hui Zhou
- Department of Central Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng 252000, Shandong Province, China.
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9
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Delafiori J, Siciliano RF, de Oliveira AN, Nicolau JC, Sales GM, Dalçóquio TF, Busanello ENB, Eguti A, de Oliveira DN, Bertolin AJ, Dos Santos LA, Salsoso R, Marcondes-Braga FG, Durán N, Júnior MWP, Sabino EC, Reis LO, Fávaro WJ, Catharino RR. Comparing plasma and skin imprint metabolic profiles in COVID-19 diagnosis and severity assessment. J Mol Med (Berl) 2024; 102:183-195. [PMID: 38010437 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-023-02396-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
As SARS-CoV-2 continues to produce new variants, the demand for diagnostics and a better understanding of COVID-19 remain key topics in healthcare. Skin manifestations have been widely reported in cases of COVID-19, but the mechanisms and markers of these symptoms are poorly described. In this cross-sectional study, 101 patients (64 COVID-19 positive patients and 37 controls) were enrolled between April and June 2020, during the first wave of COVID-19, in São Paulo, Brazil. Enrolled patients had skin imprints sampled non-invasively using silica plates; plasma samples were also collected. Samples were used for untargeted lipidomics/metabolomics through high-resolution mass spectrometry. We identified 558 molecular ions, with lipids comprising most of them. We found 245 plasma ions that were significant for COVID-19 diagnosis, compared to 61 from the skin imprints. Plasma samples outperformed skin imprints in distinguishing patients with COVID-19 from controls, with F1-scores of 91.9% and 84.3%, respectively. Skin imprints were excellent for assessing disease severity, exhibiting an F1-score of 93.5% when discriminating between patient hospitalization and home care statuses. Specifically, oleamide and linoleamide were the most discriminative biomarkers for identifying hospitalized patients through skin imprinting, and palmitic amides and N-acylethanolamine 18:0 were also identified as significant biomarkers. These observations underscore the importance of primary fatty acid amides and N-acylethanolamines in immunomodulatory processes and metabolic disorders. These findings confirm the potential utility of skin imprinting as a valuable non-invasive sampling method for COVID-19 screening; a method that may also be applied in the evaluation of other medical conditions. KEY MESSAGES: Skin imprints complement plasma in disease metabolomics. The annotated markers have a role in immunomodulation and metabolic diseases. Skin imprints outperformed plasma samples at assessing disease severity. Skin imprints have potential as non-invasive sampling strategy for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeany Delafiori
- Innovare Biomarkers Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil - Rua Cinco de Junho, 350 - 13083-970 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Rinaldo Focaccia Siciliano
- Clinical Division of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil - Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455 - 01246-903 - Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil - Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 44 - 05403-900 - Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Arthur Noin de Oliveira
- Innovare Biomarkers Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil - Rua Cinco de Junho, 350 - 13083-970 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - José Carlos Nicolau
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil - Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 44 - 05403-900 - Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Geovana Manzan Sales
- Innovare Biomarkers Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil - Rua Cinco de Junho, 350 - 13083-970 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Talia Falcão Dalçóquio
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil - Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 44 - 05403-900 - Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Estela Natacha Brandt Busanello
- Innovare Biomarkers Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil - Rua Cinco de Junho, 350 - 13083-970 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Adriana Eguti
- Sumaré State Hospital, Sumaré, Brazil - Av. da Amizade, 2400 - 13175-490 - Jardim Bela Vista, Sumaré, SP, Brazil
| | - Diogo Noin de Oliveira
- Innovare Biomarkers Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil - Rua Cinco de Junho, 350 - 13083-970 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Adriadne Justi Bertolin
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil - Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 44 - 05403-900 - Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz Augusto Dos Santos
- Paulínia Municipal Hospital, Paulínia, Brazil - Rua Miguel Vicente Cury, 100 - 13140-000 - Nova Paulínia, Paulínia, SP, Brazil
| | - Rocío Salsoso
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil - Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 44 - 05403-900 - Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Fabiana G Marcondes-Braga
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil - Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 44 - 05403-900 - Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Nelson Durán
- Laboratory of Urogenital Carcinogenesis and Immunotherapy, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil - Av. Bertrand Russel, s/n - 13083-865 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campina, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Ester Cerdeira Sabino
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil - Avenida Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, 470 - 05403-000 - Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Oliveira Reis
- UroScience Laboratory, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil - Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo, 126 - 13083-887 - Cidade, Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, SP, Brazil
- Center for Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, PUC-Campinas, Brazil - Av. John Boyd Dunlop, s/n - 13060-904 - Jd. Ipaussurama, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Wagner José Fávaro
- Laboratory of Urogenital Carcinogenesis and Immunotherapy, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil - Av. Bertrand Russel, s/n - 13083-865 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campina, SP, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Ramos Catharino
- Innovare Biomarkers Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil - Rua Cinco de Junho, 350 - 13083-970 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
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Álvarez-Santacruz C, Tyrkalska SD, Candel S. The Microbiota in Long COVID. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1330. [PMID: 38279329 PMCID: PMC10816132 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Interest in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has progressively decreased lately, mainly due to the great effectivity of vaccines. Furthermore, no new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants able to circumvent the protection of these vaccines, while presenting high transmissibility and/or lethality, have appeared. However, long COVID has emerged as a huge threat to human health and economy globally. The human microbiota plays an important role in health and disease, participating in the modulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Thus, multiple studies have found that the nasopharyngeal microbiota is altered in COVID-19 patients, with these changes associated with the onset and/or severity of the disease. Nevertheless, although dysbiosis has also been reported in long COVID patients, mainly in the gut, little is known about the possible involvement of the microbiota in the development of this disease. Therefore, in this work, we aim to fill this gap in the knowledge by discussing and comparing the most relevant studies that have been published in this field up to this point. Hence, we discuss that the relevance of long COVID has probably been underestimated, and that the available data suggest that the microbiota could be playing a pivotal role on the pathogenesis of the disease. Further research to elucidate the involvement of the microbiota in long COVID will be essential to explore new therapeutic strategies based on manipulation of the microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sylwia D. Tyrkalska
- Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Pascual Parrilla, 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Candel
- Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Pascual Parrilla, 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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11
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Lu J, Chen Y, Zhou K, Ling Y, Qin Q, Lu W, Qin L, Mou C, Zhang J, Zheng X, Qin K. Immune characteristics of kidney transplant recipients with acute respiratory distress syndrome induced by COVID-19 at single-cell resolution. Respir Res 2024; 25:34. [PMID: 38238762 PMCID: PMC10795319 DOI: 10.1186/s12931-024-02682-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) can result in tissue damage and multiple organ dysfunction, especially in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) receiving immunosuppressive drugs. Presently, single-cell research on COVID-19-induced ARDS is considerably advanced, yet knowledge about ARDS in KTRs is still constrained. METHODS Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis was performed to construct a comprehensive single-cell immune landscape of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of eight patients with COVID-19-induced ARDS, five KTRs with COVID-19-induced ARDS, and five healthy individuals. Subsequently, we conducted a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, including cell clustering, enrichment analysis, trajectory analysis, gene regulatory network analysis, and cell-cell interaction analysis, to investigate the heterogeneity of the immune microenvironment in KTRs with ARDS. RESULT Our study revealed that KTRs exhibit significant heterogeneity with COVID-19-induced ARDS compared with those of other individuals, with significant reductions in T cells, as well as an abnormal proliferation of B cells and monocytes. In the context of dual influences from immunosuppression and viral infection, KTRs exhibited more specific plasma cells, along with significant enrichment of dysfunctional GZMB and XAF1 double-positive effector T cells and IFI27-positive monocytes. Additionally, robust communication existed among T cells and monocytes in cytokine signaling. These effects impede the process of immune reconstitution in KTR patients. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that KTRs with COVID-19-induced ARDS show elevated antibody levels, impaired T cell differentiation, and dysregulation of innate immunity. In summary, this study provides a theoretical foundation for a comprehensive understanding of COVID-19-induced ARDS in KTRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyu Lu
- Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, China.
- Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Emergency and Critical Medicine, Nanning, 530007, China.
| | - Yin Chen
- Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, China
| | - Kaihuan Zhou
- Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, China
| | - Yicong Ling
- Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, China
| | - Qianqian Qin
- Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, China
| | - Weisheng Lu
- Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, China
| | - Lian Qin
- Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, China
| | - Chenglin Mou
- Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, China
| | - Jianfeng Zhang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, China
- Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Emergency and Critical Medicine, Nanning, 530007, China
| | - Xiaowen Zheng
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, China.
- Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Emergency and Critical Medicine, Nanning, 530007, China.
| | - Ke Qin
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, Guangxi, China.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Guilin People's Hospital, Guilin, 541002, China.
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12
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Suleman M, Ishaq I, Khan H, Ullah khan S, Masood R, Albekairi NA, Alshammari A, Crovella S. Elucidating the binding mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 NSP6-TBK1 and structure-based designing of phytocompounds inhibitors for instigating the host immune response. Front Chem 2024; 11:1346796. [PMID: 38293247 PMCID: PMC10824840 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1346796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, also referred to as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is the virus responsible for causing COVID-19, an infectious disease that emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Among its crucial functions, NSP6 plays a vital role in evading the human immune system by directly interacting with a receptor called TANK-binding kinase (TBK1), leading to the suppression of IFNβ production. Consequently, in the present study we used the structural and biophysical approaches to analyze the effect of newly emerged mutations on the binding of NSP6 and TBK1. Among the identified mutations, four (F35G, L37F, L125F, and I162T) were found to significantly destabilize the structure of NSP6. Furthermore, the molecular docking analysis highlighted that the mutant NSP6 displayed its highest binding affinity with TBK1, exhibiting docking scores of -1436.2 for the wildtype and -1723.2, -1788.6, -1510.2, and -1551.7 for the F35G, L37F, L125F, and I162T mutants, respectively. This suggests the potential for an enhanced immune system evasion capability of NSP6. Particularly, the F35G mutation exhibited the strongest binding affinity, supported by a calculated binding free energy of -172.19 kcal/mol. To disrupt the binding between NSP6 and TBK1, we conducted virtual drug screening to develop a novel inhibitor derived from natural products. From this screening, we identified the top 5 hit compounds as the most promising candidates with a docking score of -6.59 kcal/mol, -6.52 kcal/mol, -6.32 kcal/mol, -6.22 kcal/mol, and -6.21 kcal/mol. The molecular dynamic simulation of top 3 hits further verified the dynamic stability of drugs-NSP6 complexes. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insight into the higher infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 new variants and a strong rationale for the development of novel drugs against NSP6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Suleman
- Laboratory of Animal Research Center (LARC), Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Center for Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Swat, Swat, Pakistan
| | - Iqra Ishaq
- Center for Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Swat, Swat, Pakistan
| | - Haji Khan
- Center for Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Swat, Swat, Pakistan
| | - Safir Ullah khan
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Rehana Masood
- Department of Biochemistry, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Norah A. Albekairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulrahman Alshammari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sergio Crovella
- Laboratory of Animal Research Center (LARC), Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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Sandin R, Veenstra DL, Vankelegom M, Dzingina M, Sullivan SD, Campbell D, Ma C, Harrison C, Draica F, Wiemken TL, Mugwagwa T. Budget impact of oral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in adults at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19 in the United States. J Manag Care Spec Pharm 2023; 29:1290-1302. [PMID: 38058141 PMCID: PMC10776264 DOI: 10.18553/jmcp.2023.29.12.1290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (NMV/r) is indicated for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19. NMV/r has also been authorized for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in pediatric patients (aged 226512 years and weighing at least 40 kg) who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19. Understanding the budget impact of introducing NMV/r for the treatment of adults with COVID-19 is of key interest to US payers. OBJECTIVE To estimate the annual budget impact of introducing NMV/r in a US commercial health plan setting in the current Omicron COVID-19 era. METHODS A budget impact model was developed to assess the impact of NMV/r on health care costs in a hypothetical 1-million-member commercial health insurance plan over a 1-year period in the US population; clinical and cost inputs were derived from published literature with a focus on studies in the recent COVID-19 era that included vaccinated population and predominance of the Omicron variant. In the base-case analysis, it was assumed the only effect of NMV/r was a reduction in incidence (not severity) of hospitalization or death; its potential effect on post-COVID conditions was assessed in a scenario analysis. Outcomes included the number of hospitalizations, total cost, per patient per year (PPPY) costs, and per member per month (PMPM) costs. Sensitivity and scenario analyses were conducted to assess uncertainty around key model inputs. RESULTS An estimated 29,999 adults were eligible and sought treatment with oral antiviral for COVID-19 over 1 year. The availability of NMV/r was estimated to reduce the number of hospitalizations by 647 with a total budget impact of $2,733,745, $91 PPPY, and $0.23 PMPM. NMV/r was cost saving when including post-COVID conditions with a -$1,510,780 total budget impact, a PPPY cost of -$50, and a PMPM cost of -$0.13. Sensitivity analyses indicated results were most sensitive to the risk of hospitalization under supportive care, risk of hospitalization with NMV/r treatment and cost of NMV/r. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with NMV/r in the current COVID-19 era is estimated to result in substantial cost offsets because of reductions in hospitalization and modest budget impact to potential overall cost savings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Cuiying Ma
- Health Economics & Outcomes Research Ltd, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Cale Harrison
- Health Economics & Outcomes Research Ltd, Cardiff, Wales, UK
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14
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Okuma N, Ito MA, Shimizu T, Hasegawa A, Ohmori S, Yoshida K, Matsuoka I. Amplification of poly(I:C)-induced interleukin-6 production in human bronchial epithelial cells by priming with interferon-γ. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21067. [PMID: 38030681 PMCID: PMC10687102 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48422-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 was associated with disease severity in patients with COVID-19. The mechanism underlying the excessive IL-6 production by SARS-Cov-2 infection remains unclear. Respiratory viruses initially infect nasal or bronchial epithelial cells that produce various inflammatory mediators. Here, we show that pretreatment of human bronchial epithelial cells (NCl-H292) with interferon (IFN)-γ (10 ng/mL) markedly increased IL-6 production induced by the toll-like receptor (TLR) 3 agonist poly(I:C) (1 µg/mL) from 0.4 ± 0.1 to 4.1 ± 0.4 ng/mL (n = 3, P < 0.01). A similar effect was observed in human alveolar A549 and primary bronchial epithelial cells. TLR3 knockdown using siRNA in NCl-H292 cells diminished the priming effects of IFN-γ on poly(I:C)-induced IL-6 production. Furthermore, the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor tofacitinib (1 µM) inhibited IFN-γ-induced upregulation of TLR3, and suppressed poly(I:C)-induced IL-6 production. Quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that IFN-γ stimulated histone modifications at the IL-6 gene locus. Finally, IFN-γ priming significantly increased lung IL-6 mRNA and protein levels in poly(I:C)-administrated mice. Thus, priming bronchial epithelial cells with IFN-γ increases poly(I:C)-induced IL-6 production via JAK-dependent TLR3 upregulation and chromatin remodeling at the IL-6 gene locus. These mechanisms may be involved in severe respiratory inflammation following infection with RNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norikazu Okuma
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, Takasaki-shi, Gunma, 370-0033, Japan
- Department of Pharmacy, Japan Community Health Care Organization Gunma Chuo Hospital, Maebashi-shi, Gunma, 371-0025, Japan
| | - Masa-Aki Ito
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, Takasaki-shi, Gunma, 370-0033, Japan.
| | - Tomoyoshi Shimizu
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, Takasaki-shi, Gunma, 370-0033, Japan
| | - Atsuya Hasegawa
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, Takasaki-shi, Gunma, 370-0033, Japan
| | - Shin'ya Ohmori
- Laboratory of Allergy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, Takasaki-shi, Gunma, 370-0033, Japan
| | - Kazuki Yoshida
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, Takasaki-shi, Gunma, 370-0033, Japan
| | - Isao Matsuoka
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, Takasaki-shi, Gunma, 370-0033, Japan
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15
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Raouf GA, Mohammad FK, Merza MA. Polypharmacy and the In Silico Prediction of Potential Body Proteins Targeted by These Drugs Among Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients With Cytokine Storm. Cureus 2023; 15:e48834. [PMID: 38106718 PMCID: PMC10722521 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.48834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and objective Polypharmacy is prevalent in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with severe disease. However, information on polypharmacy among COVID-19 patients who also suffer from cytokine storm is scarce. In light of this, the purpose of the present study was to assess the incidence of polypharmacy and in silico prediction of potential body proteins targeted by these drugs among hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were identified to have the additional burden of cytokine storm in the city of Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Methods This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted from June 2021 to April 2022; the phenomena of major polypharmacy (six to nine medications) and excessive polypharmacy (≥10 medications) were documented among 33 (15 males and 18 females) COVID-19 patients with cytokine storm during their hospital stay (8-45 days) in Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The SwissTargetPrediction program was utilized in silico to predict and identify human body proteins that could be potentially targeted by selected medications involved in polypharmacy. Results All patients had tested positive for COVID-19 via PCR testing, and they showed different signs and symptoms of the disease. None of the patients recovered and all of them deceased. All 33 patients received many therapeutic agents that ranged in number from eight to 20/patient during their hospital stay. The mean number of medications was 15 ± 3. We identified 2/33 (6%) patients with major polypharmacy (eight and nine) and 31/33 (94%) with excessive polypharmacy (15.5 ± 2.7). The total number of medications identified in polypharmacy was 37, excluding vitamins, minerals, and intravenous solutions. The frequency of medications administered was as follows: antibiotics (67, 13.7%), mucolytic agents (56, 11.5%), corticosteroids (54, 11%), anticoagulants (48, 9.8%), antiviral agents (41, 8.4%), antihypertensive agents (32, 6.5%), analgesics (28, 5.7%), antifungal drugs (27, 5.5%), antidiabetics (26, 5.3%), and other medications (2-19, 0.41-3.9%). Using the SwissTargetPrediction program, various drugs including antiviral agents involved in polypharmacy were found to target, in silico, body proteins at a prediction percentage that ranged from 6.7% to 40%. Conclusions Major and extensive polypharmacy conditions were identified in hospitalized COVID-19 patients suffering from cytokine storm. The severity of COVID-19 with cytokine storm, comorbidities, and hospitalization were key factors associated with polypharmacy in the patients. The SwissTargetPrediction web server is useful for predicting in silico potential human body protein targets that could possibly be sources of additional information on the adverse/toxic effects of polypharmacy medications administered concurrently. Further research in current medication protocols prescribed for advanced COVID-19 illness with cytokine storm is warranted to gain deeper insights into the topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghazwan A Raouf
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Duhok, Duhok, IRQ
| | - Fouad K Mohammad
- Department of Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mosul, Mosul, IRQ
- College of Nursing, The American University of Kurdistan, Duhok, IRQ
| | - Muayad A Merza
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Duhok, Duhok, IRQ
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16
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Marinescu M. Benzimidazole-Triazole Hybrids as Antimicrobial and Antiviral Agents: A Systematic Review. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1220. [PMID: 37508316 PMCID: PMC10376251 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12071220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial infections have attracted the attention of researchers in recent decades, especially due to the special problems they have faced, such as their increasing diversity and resistance to antibiotic treatment. The emergence and development of the SARS-CoV-2 infection stimulated even more research to find new structures with antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Among the heterocyclic compounds with remarkable therapeutic properties, benzimidazoles, and triazoles stand out, possessing antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, anti-Alzheimer, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antidiabetic, or anti-ulcer activities. In addition, the literature of the last decade reports benzimidazole-triazole hybrids with improved biological properties compared to the properties of simple mono-heterocyclic compounds. This review aims to provide an update on the synthesis methods of these hybrids, along with their antimicrobial and antiviral activities, as well as the structure-activity relationship reported in the literature. It was found that the presence of certain groups grafted onto the benzimidazole and/or triazole nuclei (-F, -Cl, -Br, -CF3, -NO2, -CN, -CHO, -OH, OCH3, COOCH3), as well as the presence of some heterocycles (pyridine, pyrimidine, thiazole, indole, isoxazole, thiadiazole, coumarin) increases the antimicrobial activity of benzimidazole-triazole hybrids. Also, the presence of the oxygen or sulfur atom in the bridge connecting the benzimidazole and triazole rings generally increases the antimicrobial activity of the hybrids. The literature mentions only benzimidazole-1,2,3-triazole hybrids with antiviral properties. Both for antimicrobial and antiviral hybrids, the presence of an additional triazole ring increases their biological activity, which is in agreement with the three-dimensional binding mode of compounds. This review summarizes the advances of benzimidazole triazole derivatives as potential antimicrobial and antiviral agents covering articles published from 2000 to 2023.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Marinescu
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Catalysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
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17
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Zińczuk A, Rorat M, Simon K, Jurek T. Unpacking the Complexity of COVID-19 Fatalities: Adverse Events as Contributing Factors-A Single-Center, Retrospective Analysis of the First Two Years of the Pandemic. Viruses 2023; 15:1430. [PMID: 37515118 PMCID: PMC10383259 DOI: 10.3390/v15071430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In a retrospective analysis of 477 fatal COVID-19 cases hospitalised at a single medical centre during the period from 6 March 2020 to 30 June 2022, several factors defining those patients at admission were assessed, as well as the course of the hospitalisation and factors contributing to death. There was a predominance of men (59.3% (283)) burdened by comorbidities, with increased inflammation at admission. Patients aged ≥ 81 years were significantly more likely to be admitted to and die in infectious diseases units (IDU) due to respiratory failure, their hospital stays were shorter, and they were most likely not to receive specialist treatment. The most common COVID-19 complications included acute kidney injury in 31.2% (149) patients and thromboembolic complications in 23.5% (112). The course of hospitalisation was complicated by healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in 33.3% (159) of cases, more often in those treated with baricitinib (p < 0.001). The initial use of an antibiotic, although common (94.8% (452)), was unwarranted in almost half of the cases (47.6% (215)). Complications of hospitalisation (46.1% (220)) and adverse events involving staff (49.7% (237)) were found in almost half of the patients. In 88.7% (423) of the cases, death was due to respiratory failure in the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Adverse events during hospitalisation should be considered as an additional factor that, in addition to the infection itself, may have influenced the death of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksander Zińczuk
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-369 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Marta Rorat
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-369 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Simon
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-369 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Jurek
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-369 Wroclaw, Poland
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Lassan S, Tesar T, Tisonova J, Lassanova M. Pharmacological approaches to pulmonary fibrosis following COVID-19. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1143158. [PMID: 37397477 PMCID: PMC10308083 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1143158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: In the past few years, COVID-19 became the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although the World Health Organization has declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency, it can be expected, that the emerging new cases at the top of previous ones will result in an increasing number of patients with post-COVID-19 sequelae. Despite the fact that the majority of patients recover, severe acute lung tissue injury can in susceptible individuals progress to interstitial pulmonary involvement. Our goal is to provide an overview of various aspects associated with the Post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis with a focus on its potential pharmacological treatment options. Areas covered: We discuss epidemiology, underlying pathobiological mechanisms, and possible risk and predictive factors that were found to be associated with the development of fibrotic lung tissue remodelling. Several pharmacotherapeutic approaches are currently being applied and include anti-fibrotic drugs, prolonged use or pulses of systemic corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs. In addition, several repurposed or novel compounds are being investigated. Fortunately, clinical trials focused on pharmacological treatment regimens for post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis have been either designed, completed or are already in progress. However, the results are contrasting so far. High quality randomised clinical trials are urgently needed with respect to the heterogeneity of disease behaviour, patient characteristics and treatable traits. Conclusion: The Post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis contributes to the burden of chronic respiratory consequences among survivors. Currently available pharmacotherapeutic approaches mostly comprise repurposed drugs with a proven efficacy and safety profile, namely, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants and antifibrotics. The role of nintedanib and pirfenidone is promising in this area. However, we still need to verify conditions under which the potential to prevent, slow or stop progression of lung damage will be fulfilled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Lassan
- Department of Pneumology, Phthisiology and Functional Diagnostics, Slovak Medical University and Bratislava University Hospital, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tomas Tesar
- Department of Organisation and Management of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Tisonova
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Monika Lassanova
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Yang R, Liu L, Jiang D, Liu L, Yang H, Xu H, Qin M, Wang P, Gu J, Xing Y. Identification of Potential TMPRSS2 Inhibitors for COVID-19 Treatment in Chinese Medicine by Computational Approaches and Surface Plasmon Resonance Technology. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:3005-3017. [PMID: 37155923 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pneumonia continues to spread in the entire globe with limited medication available. In this study, the active compounds in Chinese medicine (CM) recipes targeting the transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) protein for the treatment of COVID-19 were explored. METHODS The conformational structure of TMPRSS2 protein (TMPS2) was built through homology modeling. A training set covering TMPS2 inhibitors and decoy molecules was docked to TMPS2, and their docking poses were re-scored with scoring schemes. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to select the best scoring function. Virtual screening of the candidate compounds (CCDs) in the six highly effective CM recipes against TMPS2 was conducted based on the validated docking protocol. The potential CCDs after docking were subject to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) experiment. RESULTS A training set of 65 molecules were docked with modeled TMPS2 and LigScore2 with the highest area under the curve, AUC, value (0.886) after ROC analysis selected to best differentiate inhibitors from decoys. A total of 421 CCDs in the six recipes were successfully docked into TMPS2, and the top 16 CCDs with LigScore2 higher than the cutoff (4.995) were screened out. MD simulations revealed a stable binding between these CCDs and TMPS2 due to the negative binding free energy. Lastly, SPR experiments validated the direct combination of narirutin, saikosaponin B1, and rutin with TMPS2. CONCLUSIONS Specific active compounds including narirutin, saikosaponin B1, and rutin in CM recipes potentially target and inhibit TMPS2, probably exerting a therapeutic effect on COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Yang
- Department of Hepatology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
- Faculty of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
| | - Linhua Liu
- Department of Hepatology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
| | - Dansheng Jiang
- Department of Hepatology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
| | - Huili Yang
- Department of Hepatology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
| | - Hongling Xu
- Department of Hepatology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
| | - Meirong Qin
- National Medical Products Administration, Shenzhen Institute for Drug Control, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Ping Wang
- National Medical Products Administration, Shenzhen Institute for Drug Control, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Jiangyong Gu
- Research Centre for Integrative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yufeng Xing
- Department of Hepatology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
- Faculty of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
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Guang Y, Hui L. Determining half-life of SARS-CoV-2 antigen in respiratory secretion. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:69697-69702. [PMID: 37129805 PMCID: PMC10151215 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27326-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is primarily transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets and aerosols. It is also possible for the virus to be transmitted indirectly through environmental contamination. The likelihood of environmental transmission depends on several factors, including the survival time of the virus in respiratory secretions. However, the stability of SARS-CoV-2 in respiratory secretions has not been investigated. In this study, we compared the half-life of the SARS-CoV-2 antigen in respiratory secretion under different conditions. We applied respiratory secretion (5 µL) to glass slides, air-dried the slides for 1 h, and kept them at 24 °C or 4 °C for 10 days. Respiratory secretions were also placed in test tubes (sealed to preserve moisture) and in normal saline for 10 days. The concentration of SARS-CoV-2 antigen in all samples was simultaneously measured using colloidal gold immunochromatography, and the half-life of the antigen was calculated. The half-life of the antigen in the wet (sealed tube) and saline samples at room temperature was 5.0 and 2.92 days, respectively. The half-life of the antigen in the air-dried sample at room temperature and at 4 °C was 2.93 and 11.4 days, respectively. The half-life was longer in respiratory secretions than that in normal saline. The half-life was also longer in respiratory secretions, at a lower temperature, and under wet conditions. Therefore, environmental transmission can also play a significant role in the spread of the virus. Robust prevention and control strategies could be developed based on the half-life of the antigen in respiratory secretions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Guang
- Department of Laboratory and Quarantine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Liu Hui
- Department of Laboratory and Quarantine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China.
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